Adobe and Disney team up to build custom AI tools for creative work

Adobe and The Walt Disney Company have announced a multi-year alliance to build custom AI tools for creative work. Disney plans to create AI models trained on its own characters, settings and visual styles. The news came at Adobe MAX. Small businesses will not get access to Disney's systems, but the deal shows where creative software is heading.

What changed

The alliance covers Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disney Cruise Line, ESPN Edge and StudioLAB, Disney's innovation hub. The companies plan to work together on marketing campaigns, industry events, customer stories and technology development.

Adobe will give Disney early access to Adobe Firefly, Firefly Foundry, Premiere and Photoshop. Disney will also get engineering and research support.

What Disney is building

Disney will use Firefly Foundry to develop AI models customized to its own properties. Adobe describes the results as commercially safe and production-ready. It says the goal is to speed up work, not replace the creative process.

Some of this is already happening. Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development uses Firefly Foundry for theme-park development. One use turns hand-drawn concepts into finished 2D artwork. Another makes image assets that stay consistent with a franchise. ESPN and Adobe will also explore fan engagement, content delivery and bringing ESPN's archive to life.

Who it affects

Any business that makes marketing or design content can take a lesson here. A company with a clear brand library, such as logos, product photos, color standards and approved imagery, may get more consistent results from a tool built around its own materials. Building and maintaining one can cost a lot, though.

Disney also has specialized creative teams, a large content library and a budget for dedicated engineers. A five-person agency or an independent retailer may not. A big-name deal does not prove every AI purchase will pay off.

What to do

The suggested starting point is a small pilot. Use AI for internal concepts, routine content variations or editing help. Then measure the results.

• Track time saved, quality and customer response.
• Write down your approval steps and which tasks need a person's final signoff.
• Ask how a tool handles customer data and what material it trains on.
• Find out who owns the content it creates.
• Run your own legal and brand checks, even if a vendor says its output is commercially safe.

What happens next

Adobe said more projects and activations will roll out over the alliance's multi-year term. The work will be featured at Adobe Summit and Adobe MAX, among other places. The material does not give a timeline, a price or details on when any of the custom tools will be finished.